Recently I was reminded of the movie "What About Bob". If you have not seen it, it stars Bill Murray as a benign mental patient who is convinced that the only way to get help is to always be near his doctor - played by Richard Dreyfuss. Murray ends up following Dreyfuss on a family vacation and eventually drives the doctor insane with his antics. It's a funny movie.
However, this was not intended to be a movie review blog, so I'd best get to my point.
One of the techniques that the doctor uses to try to help Murray is what he calls "baby steps". The idea being that in order to get better, Murray needs to focus on doing a few little things "normally" and then build from there.
I think this principle is applicable in virtually every area of life. Author Steven Covey often speaks of making promises to yourself which you can keep. Then, when you keep those promises it gives you confidence to try new things. However, most of us want to accomplish everything all at once and often get discouraged when we don't see immediate results.
I think this often applies to our efforts for the kingdom of God. We see the incredible need in the world - or any given situation - and feel compelled (often by the Holy Spirit) to make a difference. However, if we don't have a plan in place that includes manageable steps and set out to tackle the whole problem all at once, we often don't accomplish things as quickly as we would like to, become discouraged and give up.
This is one way that Sixteen:Fifteen can help local churches with their missions' endeavors - by helping them to determine what are the manageable next steps and what short-term goals to aim at. By successfully completing these "baby steps", the church then gains the confidence to take the next steps and the successes begin to build upon themselves until the ultimate goal is realized.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Great Story about North Africa
Having previously served in North Africa, I was encouraged by this story on CBN. The movement of people Christ in Algeria is one of the very few real breakthroughs that we have ever seen in the Muslim world.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Iraqi Refugees
I've just returned from a trip to Jordan with one of our partner churches. Our purpose in going was to access the situation of Iraqi refugees living there. I was, of course, prepared to see difficult living conditions - but I was still not prepared for what we saw.
There are an estimated 800,000 Iraqis living in Jordan - many of them refugees from the on-going war in their homeland. Most refugees have crossed the border illegally and are waiting for the U.N. to grant them opportunities to move to other countries - with Sweden, Australia and the U.S. being the most likely destinations.
In the mean time, however, they live in what can only be described as very difficult and depressing circumstances. Unable to legally work, those who find part-time jobs are at the mercy of their employers as to how much pay (if any) they receive. Unable to have access to government health care, those needing medical care are forced to seek U.N. relief or pay to visit private clinics. If discovered in the country without proper paperwork, they will likely be deported back to their war-torn country. Thus, they sit in Jordan trying to make ends meet, trying to stay out of trouble and hoping for the day when the U.N. will approve their request to leave the country.
One of the homes which we visited was especially sad. The household consisted of a woman and her two teen-age friends. The woman had suffered a broken hip several years ago in Iraq and had a rod inserted in her hip. When the war broke out, she was accused of helping the U.S. forces and beaten so badly that the rod in her hip broke. Though she did not complain about her situation, it was obvious that she was very uncomfortable with even normal movements such as standing and walking.
Her two house-mates are a 16-year-old girl who has a tumor in her head. Her head appeared to be swollen and the tumor has grown to the point that it blocks 95% of her vision. Her 14-year-old brother is basically dying of kidney failure. He is small, pale and weak. He has been approved for some U.N. - sponsored treatment, but it did not take a doctor to see that he needed more services than what he was getting.
How these three came to be housemates is somewhat unclear to me. Each had been separated from family by the effects of the war and were now trying to survive together without a "breadwinner" in the household.
I think what haunted me most about this meeting was their statement that all of their neighbors would have very similar stories to theirs. All had lost loved ones, fled their homeland, lacked resources and were waiting for someone to help them.
Another family that we met had a 3-year-old son who was never issued a birth certificate. Thus, for them to leave the country would be to go without their son - who could never be proven to belong to them. The father in this urine-smelling house worked 2 hours a day as a hairdresser, which was not even enough to purchase a small space-heater. Thus, the family sat around their one-room house under blankets with virtually no hope for improved conditions.
What also touched me was that NOT ONE person asked us for a hand-out. In fact, they seemed more-than-willing to serve us coffee or cookies when we visited.
Please join me in praying for the Iraqi refugees in Jordan (and Syria too for that matter) and for the church (which I will not name for security purposes) that is even know praying about how to move forward in helping these people with both temporal and eternal needs.
Jerrid
There are an estimated 800,000 Iraqis living in Jordan - many of them refugees from the on-going war in their homeland. Most refugees have crossed the border illegally and are waiting for the U.N. to grant them opportunities to move to other countries - with Sweden, Australia and the U.S. being the most likely destinations.
In the mean time, however, they live in what can only be described as very difficult and depressing circumstances. Unable to legally work, those who find part-time jobs are at the mercy of their employers as to how much pay (if any) they receive. Unable to have access to government health care, those needing medical care are forced to seek U.N. relief or pay to visit private clinics. If discovered in the country without proper paperwork, they will likely be deported back to their war-torn country. Thus, they sit in Jordan trying to make ends meet, trying to stay out of trouble and hoping for the day when the U.N. will approve their request to leave the country.
One of the homes which we visited was especially sad. The household consisted of a woman and her two teen-age friends. The woman had suffered a broken hip several years ago in Iraq and had a rod inserted in her hip. When the war broke out, she was accused of helping the U.S. forces and beaten so badly that the rod in her hip broke. Though she did not complain about her situation, it was obvious that she was very uncomfortable with even normal movements such as standing and walking.
Her two house-mates are a 16-year-old girl who has a tumor in her head. Her head appeared to be swollen and the tumor has grown to the point that it blocks 95% of her vision. Her 14-year-old brother is basically dying of kidney failure. He is small, pale and weak. He has been approved for some U.N. - sponsored treatment, but it did not take a doctor to see that he needed more services than what he was getting.
How these three came to be housemates is somewhat unclear to me. Each had been separated from family by the effects of the war and were now trying to survive together without a "breadwinner" in the household.
I think what haunted me most about this meeting was their statement that all of their neighbors would have very similar stories to theirs. All had lost loved ones, fled their homeland, lacked resources and were waiting for someone to help them.
Another family that we met had a 3-year-old son who was never issued a birth certificate. Thus, for them to leave the country would be to go without their son - who could never be proven to belong to them. The father in this urine-smelling house worked 2 hours a day as a hairdresser, which was not even enough to purchase a small space-heater. Thus, the family sat around their one-room house under blankets with virtually no hope for improved conditions.
What also touched me was that NOT ONE person asked us for a hand-out. In fact, they seemed more-than-willing to serve us coffee or cookies when we visited.
Please join me in praying for the Iraqi refugees in Jordan (and Syria too for that matter) and for the church (which I will not name for security purposes) that is even know praying about how to move forward in helping these people with both temporal and eternal needs.
Jerrid
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Books on Islam
There has been much written on Islam since 9/11 and, frankly, much of it isn't worth the paper it is written on. It is reactionary, stereotypical, based on limited study, and/or mean-spirited - and I am talking about books published by Christian companies and for sale in most Christian book stores.
As I have studied Islam for over a decade now, and have often taught on the subject, I have often been asked what book I recommend and I almost always said Answering Islam by Norm Geissler and Abdul Saleeb as the best starting point. However that is officially changing.
As I have studied Islam for over a decade now, and have often taught on the subject, I have often been asked what book I recommend and I almost always said Answering Islam by Norm Geissler and Abdul Saleeb as the best starting point. However that is officially changing.
I still highly recommend Geissler - its just that some may find it tough to get through. Instead, my new recommended starting place is Encountering the World of Islam edited by Keith Swartley.
Encountering is a collection of short essays written by a variety of experts and very well arranged by topic - moving from very basic history and introductory material through Islamic doctrine, culture, history of outreach to missions, etc to very practical tips on sharing your faith with Muslims and how to pray for them. You would think that a book of over 500 pages written by a variety of authors would be confusing and/or contradictory. However, the flow of this book is amazing. When differing viewpoints are presented (which is not often) it is done so in a respectful manner, which allows the reader to judge both sides.
This book is available from http://www.authenticbooks.com/
Encountering is a collection of short essays written by a variety of experts and very well arranged by topic - moving from very basic history and introductory material through Islamic doctrine, culture, history of outreach to missions, etc to very practical tips on sharing your faith with Muslims and how to pray for them. You would think that a book of over 500 pages written by a variety of authors would be confusing and/or contradictory. However, the flow of this book is amazing. When differing viewpoints are presented (which is not often) it is done so in a respectful manner, which allows the reader to judge both sides.This book is available from http://www.authenticbooks.com/
Great Resource on Vision
I want to heartily recommend a message which Bill Hybels recently gave at his annual Leadership Summit.
The message is titled "Vision to Die For", and concerns how leaders get others to fully buy into a vision for the church, organization, etc. Hybels contends that the way to do so, is by allowing/inviting others within the organization to dream/pray together concerning the formation on the vision
He admits that this can be a slow, messy process which can be very difficult for the "go-getter" leader, which he admits to being himself - I found it amusing that he says that "process" is a cuss word and he uses it when yelling at other drivers who cut him off in traffic!
Hybels mainly uses his real-life experiences (both positive and negative) to explain his points, making very practical application as he goes.
We recommend this resource precisely because this is exactly what we try to do when helping a church define its purpose and vision with regards to the Great Commission. We have seen the lasting value of taking the time to get input, pray, dream, research and work together in coming up with a focus. This process (there's that word again!) not only gets everyone "on the same page", but (more importantly) it also creates ownership. When people feel as though they have a stake in developing a plan/vision, they are much more willing to invest in seeing it fulfilled.
I know that Bill Hybels is controversial to some (but then, who isn't disliked by at least one other person?), but few can deny his leadership skills and the effectiveness with which he has been able to inspire and motivate those who sit under his leadership.
This teaching can be purchased at: http://wall.willowcreek.com/leaders/2007_summit/leadership_store.asp
The message is titled "Vision to Die For", and concerns how leaders get others to fully buy into a vision for the church, organization, etc. Hybels contends that the way to do so, is by allowing/inviting others within the organization to dream/pray together concerning the formation on the vision
He admits that this can be a slow, messy process which can be very difficult for the "go-getter" leader, which he admits to being himself - I found it amusing that he says that "process" is a cuss word and he uses it when yelling at other drivers who cut him off in traffic!
Hybels mainly uses his real-life experiences (both positive and negative) to explain his points, making very practical application as he goes.
We recommend this resource precisely because this is exactly what we try to do when helping a church define its purpose and vision with regards to the Great Commission. We have seen the lasting value of taking the time to get input, pray, dream, research and work together in coming up with a focus. This process (there's that word again!) not only gets everyone "on the same page", but (more importantly) it also creates ownership. When people feel as though they have a stake in developing a plan/vision, they are much more willing to invest in seeing it fulfilled.
I know that Bill Hybels is controversial to some (but then, who isn't disliked by at least one other person?), but few can deny his leadership skills and the effectiveness with which he has been able to inspire and motivate those who sit under his leadership.
This teaching can be purchased at: http://wall.willowcreek.com/leaders/2007_summit/leadership_store.asp
Matthew's Thoughts on Supporting Indigenous Works.
Here are a portion of the the notes from a sermon/teaching that I give called "Avoiding the Help That Hurts". It concerns Western support of non-Western ministries, and gives some basic guidelines for doing so.
Matthew
- Give to one-time projects that the locals feel are needed but can't afford, after they have given sacrificially (sweat equity) and in faith.
- Building projects might be in this category but the horror stories are rife where foreigners build buildings unsuited to local culture/economy.
- Leadership training might be in this category, but not ongoing student and/or faculty support for institutions. The training ought to be commensurate with local resources and modus operandi.
- Avoid giving to ongoing salary support, since whatever the salary scale, it can be met by local believers.
- If a pioneer situation, give church-to-church, not individual to individual or church to individual. Local church there holds their own people accountable.
- If a church plant ministry is supported, do it on a sliding scale of 100% first year down to full local support in five years. Understood ahead of time. Not a permanent subsidy. With the goal that a net receiving church becomes a net sending church.
- New Testament giving was for poor, so Relief and Development is the safest investment. But there's a HUGE amount of deflection to other uses of gifts given for relief and development, so great vigilance must be maintained. The problem with "vigilance" however, is that any attempt to control or monitor use of funds from the outside is viewed as neo-colonialism and not acceptable.
- Foreigners should not linger too long – they should work themselves out of a job, quickly raising up national leadership.
Continually ask, “What is it going to take to see a Church Planting Movement among this people group. Ask not, “What can I do?” But, “What is it going to take?” Ask “How little of that can I do, versus encouraging them to do it…” “Are we doing for them what they can’t sustain themselves?”
Matthew
- Give to one-time projects that the locals feel are needed but can't afford, after they have given sacrificially (sweat equity) and in faith.
- Building projects might be in this category but the horror stories are rife where foreigners build buildings unsuited to local culture/economy.
- Leadership training might be in this category, but not ongoing student and/or faculty support for institutions. The training ought to be commensurate with local resources and modus operandi.
- Avoid giving to ongoing salary support, since whatever the salary scale, it can be met by local believers.
- If a pioneer situation, give church-to-church, not individual to individual or church to individual. Local church there holds their own people accountable.
- If a church plant ministry is supported, do it on a sliding scale of 100% first year down to full local support in five years. Understood ahead of time. Not a permanent subsidy. With the goal that a net receiving church becomes a net sending church.
- New Testament giving was for poor, so Relief and Development is the safest investment. But there's a HUGE amount of deflection to other uses of gifts given for relief and development, so great vigilance must be maintained. The problem with "vigilance" however, is that any attempt to control or monitor use of funds from the outside is viewed as neo-colonialism and not acceptable.
- Foreigners should not linger too long – they should work themselves out of a job, quickly raising up national leadership.
Continually ask, “What is it going to take to see a Church Planting Movement among this people group. Ask not, “What can I do?” But, “What is it going to take?” Ask “How little of that can I do, versus encouraging them to do it…” “Are we doing for them what they can’t sustain themselves?”
Friday, November 2, 2007
Responding to Rowell
The October issue of Christianity Today includes an article entitled "The Dread Curse of Stinginess", by John Rowell - who currently serves as president of Ministry Resource Network (Click on the title of this post to see the original article).
The premise of the article is that missiologists and others are fostering a culture of greed by warning of the dangers of dependency when we use outside (usually Western) funding to support indigenous ministries in other parts of the world.
While I can appreciate the author's concern with Western greed - which few honest people could deny - I think the article is overly simplistic and does not give a fair overview of the self-reliance argument made by Ralph Winter and others.
The article makes very little attempt to explain why Winter, David Garrison, and others are concerned about dependency in the first place. It is not that missiologists wish to see the American church get rich - it is because of the decades of research which have gone into such a position. For example, when Garrison calls outside funding "the devils candy" (which he does in his ground-breaking book "Church Planting Movements"), he does so only after observing church planting movements the world over and observing (somewhat pragmatically perhaps) what works and what doesn't in terms of seeing truly indigenous churches and ministries succeed.
In other words, there is very good reason to be concerned about outside funding creating dependency - we have seen it happen countless times in the history of Christian missions.
When the article does acknowledge (too briefly, I think) that dependency can be a problem, it is blamed on Westerners thinking that their money gives them the right to lead. I don't think anyone would argue that this is often true. However, it should also be noted that there is a great temptation amongst the receivers as well - the temptation to allow outside leadership as a means to keep the money flowing in. There is also no mention of the all-to-frequent reality of people coming to Christ as a means of getting in on the Western aid, or becoming church/missionary workers for the same reason.
The article also seems to imply that those arguing for a self-reliance model would say that we should never share with those who have less. This is very far from the truth. The issue at hand is that for a ministry to be truly indigenous it must be free of outside control - and the number one way in which this outside control is exerted is through the flow and control of finances. Limiting outside funding greatly limits the possibility of outside control and frees the indigenous ministry to be be self-lead, self-determining and thus (in most cases) more effective.
Let me end by saying that I appreciate the numerous ministries which seek to connect Western affluence with real human needs. I have no doubt that the author's ministry has been effective in funneling such resources in appropriate ways (that is, with no string attached). I simply think this article is an overly simplistic approach to what is a very complex issue.
Jerrid
The premise of the article is that missiologists and others are fostering a culture of greed by warning of the dangers of dependency when we use outside (usually Western) funding to support indigenous ministries in other parts of the world.
While I can appreciate the author's concern with Western greed - which few honest people could deny - I think the article is overly simplistic and does not give a fair overview of the self-reliance argument made by Ralph Winter and others.
The article makes very little attempt to explain why Winter, David Garrison, and others are concerned about dependency in the first place. It is not that missiologists wish to see the American church get rich - it is because of the decades of research which have gone into such a position. For example, when Garrison calls outside funding "the devils candy" (which he does in his ground-breaking book "Church Planting Movements"), he does so only after observing church planting movements the world over and observing (somewhat pragmatically perhaps) what works and what doesn't in terms of seeing truly indigenous churches and ministries succeed.
In other words, there is very good reason to be concerned about outside funding creating dependency - we have seen it happen countless times in the history of Christian missions.
When the article does acknowledge (too briefly, I think) that dependency can be a problem, it is blamed on Westerners thinking that their money gives them the right to lead. I don't think anyone would argue that this is often true. However, it should also be noted that there is a great temptation amongst the receivers as well - the temptation to allow outside leadership as a means to keep the money flowing in. There is also no mention of the all-to-frequent reality of people coming to Christ as a means of getting in on the Western aid, or becoming church/missionary workers for the same reason.
The article also seems to imply that those arguing for a self-reliance model would say that we should never share with those who have less. This is very far from the truth. The issue at hand is that for a ministry to be truly indigenous it must be free of outside control - and the number one way in which this outside control is exerted is through the flow and control of finances. Limiting outside funding greatly limits the possibility of outside control and frees the indigenous ministry to be be self-lead, self-determining and thus (in most cases) more effective.
Let me end by saying that I appreciate the numerous ministries which seek to connect Western affluence with real human needs. I have no doubt that the author's ministry has been effective in funneling such resources in appropriate ways (that is, with no string attached). I simply think this article is an overly simplistic approach to what is a very complex issue.
Jerrid
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